Our Stories

My son Rithik is one of the greatest blessings in my life. He is innocent and completely pure at heart. Rithik is now 23. When he was 12, he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), coupled with lower than normal IQ.

With these special children, I learn as much from them as I hope they do from me. I remember the day that one of my Special Olympics athletes fainted on the field. We were conducting try-outs for the football team.

Over the years, I have witnessed only too often—and experienced first-hand—how many individuals view people with intellectual disabilities. They believe the differently-abled should have no friends. They are wrong.

We are never too old to learn new tricks, whether it’s a sport, a skill, or even to adopt a new mindset. I have, over the past year, trained hard in a sport I have never been exposed to – powerlifting.